Daughter of the Labyrinth
by PrincessAlisonofMagicKingdom14
Summary: The Daughter of the Goblin King, Amara, yearns to find out what happened to her mother, after she vanished when she was just a babe. With the help of Toby, Amara discovers dark secrets of the Labyrinth, her family, and the mystery behind it all.k
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares

"_For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great...You have no power over me..." _She heard these words countless times in her nightmare, but who was saying them? Why did she always sound so familiar? Why did the Labyrinth crumbled every time around her? She tossed and turned in her bed until she completely rolled off with a thud and yelped. The fall woke her up from her nightmare, and she untangled herself from the bed sheets. Her head immediately shot up when she heard footsteps from down the hall. "Amara!" The door swung open and standing between the doorframe was a tall figure, wearing a white blouse with ruffles on the cuffs, a black vest, grey pants, and black leather boots. Other knew him as the Goblin King, some knew him as Jareth, but to her he was simply known as... "Papa..." Amara gently rubbed her head as she stood up and met his gaze. "Are you alright, sweetness?" She shakes her head softly and looks to the ground. "It happened again, Papa. The nightmare..." Jareth took his shaking daughter into his arms a gently rubbed her back. "There, there. Papa's here. I won't let anything bad happen to you, not like it did with her." Amara looked at Jareth with her tear filled eyes. "Her?" "Y-your mother...You remind me of her. Looking more and more like her every day." Amara had short, pixie like hair, colored brown with blonde highlights, green and brown mismatched eyes, and pointed ears, which in her species was rare, but it made her all the more special to Jareth. After wiping her tears away, Jareth kissed Amara on her temple and carried her back to bed, hovering a crystal in his hands and letting it pop like a bubble above her, sending Amara peaceful dreams as she fell asleep against her pillows. Jareth smiles as he walked out of the room and shut the door gently. Walking back down the hall to his bedroom, he sat on his bed and sighs deeply. Amara's mother, a woman Jareth never forgot, gone without a traced. He cursed himself the day she disappeared, and he was left with a child to raise himself. And for years, he went countless nights without sleep. "I'm sorry...it keeps happening to Amara. I kept my promise to you, and she's almost a fine young woman, but her eyes...It makes me regret losing you..." Tears were forming in his eyes as he clutched his pendant close to his chest and lied on his pillows. "It's so hard to forget you...And she never knew you...but I could never forget your eyes, your stubbornness...you love..." Jareth closed his eyes and breathed lightly. "I wish the goblins would find you...and bring you back to me..." He opened his eyes, expecting to see the woman he loved so much next to him, only to find nothing but himself in the room. Magic didn't work like that in the Underground. "Jareth...you're a fool...!" He cursed himself again and lied on his pillows once more.

When morning came, Amara was dressed in a black and green corset, grey leggings and black boots. She placed on her black leather gloves and walked out of room. Once she was out, a few goblins poked her leg with sticks and she kicked them away. "Quit it, you tiny bastards! Or I'll send you to the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink." She clearly took after her father. Amara walked down the hall to the dining room to meet her father for breakfast. He was sitting there, juggling a few crystals in between her fingers. He smiled when he saw his daughter enter the room. "Good morning, sweetness. I hope you slept well after that nightmare last night." Amara took a sip of her peach juice and looked at Jareth. "Papa...? What was Mom like?" Jareth looked up from the crystals and sighs. "This again? Haven't I told you hundreds of times before?" "I just like hearing it from you." Jareth tossed his crystals in the air as the vanished without a trace. "Your mother was fearless, stubborn, beautiful...Quite the adventurous type. But also determined. Never let anything distract her." Amara took a bite of her breakfast and listened carefully to Jareth. "How did you meet her?" Jareth nearly stiffens at the thought. It was so long ago, and it may not sound like a happy fairytale beginning. "Oh...it was...errr...How do I put it...? We..." Before he can control, Jareth and Amara were interrupted by a Goblin servant. "Pardon me, your highnesses." Jareth sighs in relief and slight annoyance. "What is it?" "Errr..." he leaned closer to Jareth's ear and whispered. "She's here." Jareth's eyes widened and he looked between the servant and Amara. "Guards, send Amara to her room. Don't let her out your sight." Amara looked at the guards and Jareth. "What? Papa!" Jareth took his brown jacket and immediately swiped it on. "I'm so sorry, sweetness, but duty calls." And with that, Amara was teleported back in her room. She growled in annoyance. "I'm never gonna know anything about my mother!" She sat on her bed, elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She conjured a crystal and tried to look into the Labyrinth, to find Jareth, but something was cutting her off. It must've been Jareth's own magic. "Stupid magic." She walked over to her window and gently pushed it open. Hopping onto the windowsill, she transformed into a snowy owl version of herself and flew down into the garden. Transforming back into her Fae self, she was startled when she heard a voice, clearing it's throat. Amara quickly turned around to see a dwarf figure behind her. "Oh, it's just you, Hoggle." The dwarf approached her with his arms crossed over his chest. "I know you're getting into trouble if you're down here." "How did you know I'm in trouble?" He chuckled at her and sat on the bench. "Saw you from the window." She sat down next to him and sighed. "Hoggle, did you know my mother?" Hoggle mumbles and spoke. "Who didn't? She was the queen. But also the champion of the Labyrinth." Amara looked at him in amusement. "Papa never told me that." "Well, how else did you expect them to meet?" Amara's amusement turned to curiosity. "That's how they met? Mom ran the Labyrinth? Why?" Hoggle shook his head. "Oh, no. Yous ain't getting anything out of me. I've said enough." Amara stepped in front of him as he moved off the bench. "Hoggle, please. I need to know. I've never known my mom. There must be something. Anything!" Hoggle kept shaking his head at her, keeping his mouth shut. Amara sighed and conjured up an emerald ring. "Please?" Hoggle's eyes widened at the ring, but he immediately shone his head again. "Nope, I won't take any more bribes, not like with your mother." Amara used her magic to make the gemstone bigger. "Pleeeease?" Hoggle grunts and takes the ring. "I promised Jareth I wouldn't say much, but somes believe she's still alive." Amara eyes widened in shock. "She is?! W-where?!" Hoggle urged her to come closer so he could whispered to her. "The Aboveground. I can't tell you much, but she used to own this book. It was red. 'The Labyrinth.' Had it since she was a kid. Find the book, you find her." Amara nods and Hoggle pats her on the arm, before the two were startled by a deep voice clearing his throat. "You should be in your room, young lady." Amara bit on her lips and flushed. "P-Papa..." Jareth grabbed her arm and glared at Hoggle. "I'll deal with you later." He teleported himself and Amara back into the castle.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Sarah." A fourteen year old boy enter the front seat of a car. In the drivers seat was a woman with long dark brown hair tied into a loose ponytail and a brown leather jacket. "It's no problem," the woman said, "I know Dad and Karen are real pains." The boy took his backpack and placed it in the back seat. "It's almost like they don't care." Sarah laughed and looked at the boy. "How's theater class going for you?" "It's really fun. I can see why you liked it so much when you were my age." Sarah smiles and drove up to a white two story house. "Well, I guess this is my stop." Sarah places her hand on his shoulder and stopped him before he could grab the handle. "Wait, Toby. Before you go, I wanted to give you something." She pulled out a red book from her purse and handed it to the boy. "To help you practice with your acting." Toby smiled and kissed his sisters head. "Thanks, Sarah." He grabbed his stuff and went inside the house.


	2. Chapter 2: The Red Book

Jareth was pacing around in Amara's bedroom as Amara sat quietly on her queen size bed. "I ask for so little, and you disobeyed me. What were you doing?" Amara fidgets with her fingers and looked at the ground. "I didn't want to stay in my room all day. And I didn't mess with anything. I was just talking to Hoggle." Jareth pinch the bridge of his nose and sighs. "Amara, you're 239 years old. You should know better. I'm only doing what's best for you because I lost your mother. I don't want to lose you to." Her mother. She was remembering what Hoggle said. 'Find the book, you find her.' "At least nobody else saw you. So, I'm not going to punish you." Jareth looked at her and she was still looking at the ground. "Amara." Amara looked up and faced him and bit her lips. "What is it?" She shook her head making Jareth eyebrows furrow. "Amara, tell me." Amara tried her best to deny his gaze, but she knew he would win in the end. "Hoggle told me about mom!" She covered her mouth immediately and Jareth stepped back. "What about your mother?" Amara shook her head quickly and kept her mouth shut. "Amara. You know you can't keep secrets from me." Amara started tearing softly. "He said she was alive in the Aboveground..." Jareth just stood in silence. "Did you know?" Jareth looked at her and nodded. "The Aboveground is too big for me to search...I gave up looking long ago...I thought she was gone to me...So I don't want you to go up there and risk your life to find her! Understand? She's gone." Amara glares at him in fury. "You just gave up?! Papa, she's your wife! My mother! Why would you-...?" "I feared she forgotten all about me." Amara could only look at him with tears in her eyes. "Well, I wouldn't give up. I may not know who she is, but I can...!" Jareth covered her mouth and sat her down. "No! I don't want you in the place ever! Promise me!" Amara glares at him further and bit on his hand, causing Jareth to step away. "You have no..." Jareth pointed at Amara in rage. "If you finish that sentence, so help me, you are grounded!" Amara continued the sentence, screaming. "YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" She looked at Jareth hoping he would disappear, but instead he looked at her with rage building up inside. "That's it! You are not to leave this room for the rest of the night!" Jareth locked the door behind him and stormed off to his room. Amara launched herself onto her pillows and screamed as loud as she could.

Toby was in his room, lying on his bed, reading the book Sarah had given him. He was interrupted by a knock. "Toby, are you still in here?" Toby looked up from his book to answer. "Yeah, Mom." "Your father and I are heading out. Are you sure you'll be okay?" Toby opened the door while still holding the book. "I'll be fine, Mom. Really." She looked down at the book he was holding. "What's that?" Toby held out the book. "Sarah gave it to me. It's just a cute fairytale play." Karen rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Ugh, of course. Always with the fairytales. Goblins, this. Fairies, that." Toby looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong with that?" Karen crossed her arms over her chest. "You should be spending time studying for a real job, not doing plays." Toby crosses his eyebrows. "What's wrong with plays? Actor get paid a lot of money." "And then they spend it on drugs and sex. And a doctor could make a lot more money. Now, I don't want to see that book again. Understand?" Toby glares at her. "Why can't you let me be like Sarah? At least she understands me more than you." Karen snatched the book from his hands. "I am your mother and you listen to me. No more fairytales!" Toby immediately snatched the book back from her grip and immediately locked his door. Karen pound demandingly at it. "Tobias Williams, you unlock this door this instant!" Toby immediately opened the book and ignored her. After half an hour, he was left alone in the house, eating pizza and continuing on the book, reading and rereading it, muttering the words as he went. "'...the king of the goblins has fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers...'" Toby laughed softly as he read. Once he finished it again, he closed the book and sighed. "I can't let Mom find this." He looked at his closet and immediately pulled out a small box, placing the book inside out of sight. "Nobody will find it in here. Not Mom, not Dad, not even goblins will find it." He started laughing at himself. "Goblins." He lies on his bed facing the ceiling. "I wish I could have an adventure like that. Would be better than facing my mother everyday."

Amara was curled up on her bed, her faced tear stained from crying for hours. She looked at her door when she saw Jareth entering. "I bought you some dessert. Peach sorbet, your favorite." Amara looked down, but sat up and leaned on her pillows. Jareth gave her the bowl and watched her take small bites of the frozen dessert. "I'm sorry about our fight, but I was being honest. Your mother is out of reach to me. Even I can't find her with my magic, and I don't want to risk you damaging yours to try to find her." Amara nods softly and finished her dessert. "I just wanted to know who she was. It's not fair." Jareth only gave her a soft smile and held her gently. "I know it isn't. But even some magic had limits." Amara grabbed her head in pain, and Jareth took off his gloves, placing his hands on her forehead. "You've been crying for hours, haven't you?" Amara nodded slowly as he cradles her gently, using his magic to get rid of her headache. Knowing how long she's been crying, his magic might make her fall asleep, which seemed appropriate for this time of hour. Knowing she was about to doze off, he started singing a gentle lullaby as he cradles her.

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes A kind of pale jewel_

_Open and closed Within your eyes_

_I'll place the sky_

_Within your eyes_

_There's such a fooled heart_

_Beatin' so fast_

_In search of new dreams_

_A love that will last_

_Within your heart_

_I'll place the moon_

_Within your heart_

_As the pain sweeps through,_

_Makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill is gone_

_Wasn't too much fun at all,_

_But I'll be there for you_

_As the world falls down_

_Falling_

_Falling_

_Falling in love_

Jareth felt Amara's body go limp as she completely dozed off in his arms. Smiling gently, he placed her on the bed and tucked her in her blankets. Amara sighed softly as she felt the comfort from her blankets. Jareth placed a kiss on her temple and whisper softly. "Goodnight, sweetness." He quietly exited the room, leaving his princess to sleep.

Tony was fast asleep in his bedroom. Karen walked into his room and smiled gently when he saw the sight. She set down her pursed and places the blankets around his shoulders as he slept peacefully. His roomed smelled like pizza, but she was just happy that Toby took her advice and finally got rid of the book. Looking back at her son, she placed a kiss on his temple and walked out. Tony woke up as soon as he heard the door closed and immediately pulled the book from under his pillow. He read in his head so nobody could hear him. He must've read it 15 times already, but he didn't care. He was so drawn to the story, and he already memorized the words, he knew them like the back of his hand. "'Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great. You have no power over me.'" Toby placed the book back under his pillow and whispered softly before dozing back to sleep. "I wish the goblins come and would take me away..."

Amara shot up from her bed as if she woke up from another nightmare. But it wasn't a nightmare. She heard someone wish themselves to the Goblin City. She looked around and rushed to her window, but nobody was to be found. She must've been the only one to hear it. She conjured up a crystal in her hand and focus on the image inside. A fourteen year old boy, blonde hair, asleep in his bed. And in his hands... "A red book...'The Labyrinth.'" Amara smiles widely as she saw the book Hoggle was talking about. There it was, in plain sight. All she had to do was get the book, and she could find her mother.


	3. Chapter 3: The Encounter

Amara watched in the crystal in front of her face. There, in the hands on a fourteen year old boy was the book she needed to find her mother. She could just take it now, but there was one problem. The boy holding it wished the goblins would take him away, but nobody else heard him, which was rather unusual. She started pacing and muttering to herself. "I've never done this before. It was always Papa doing it. So, how would I do it?" She conjured up another crystal and changed her appearance to a dark blue corset, black tights and black knee high boots. And to compliment the look, she had a black and blue cape. At first glance, she almost looked like her father. "Okay, I got the looks down." She looks around her room and conjured up a crystal and when she tosses it in the air, it bursts sending a spell around the room. "Now, no one will know where I've gone." Amara transformed into her snowy owl form and flies out of her window.

Toby was tossing and turning in his bed, clutching the book close to him and mumbled in his sleep. His window creaked open as a snowy owl perched on the windowsill and transformed into Amara. She took a pose to scare anyone, but nobody was around, and she saw the boy asleep in his bed. "Well, it was worth a shot." She turned her gaze to the book clutched in his hands and carefully tried to sneak it out. Toby only turned in his bed, his back facing Amara. Amara grumbled in annoyance and tried to snatch the book, but before she could even place her fingertips to the cover, a knock came at the door. Thinking quickly, Amara turned back into her owl form and rushed to the tree branch outside the boy's window. "Toby, you're going to be late for school!" Toby immediately shoot up and rubbed the sand from his eyes. "Toby, are you awake?" Toby stretched like a cat and heard a few pops in his back. "Yeah, Mom. I'm up. I'm coming." He immediately places the red book in his backpack and placed it on his back. Amara squints her beady owl eyes at Toby as he rushed to put his shoes on and dart out of the bedroom. "_Damn! Now I have to wait until he gets back!" _Amara flew off to follow Toby to his school.

Jareth was waking in the Esther room, looking for Amara. He was stopped in his tracked by Sir Didymus. "Good morning, my liege. I trust everything is well?" Jareth places his finger on his chin and looked at Sir Didymus. "You haven't seen Amara, have you?" The fox shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sire. I don't think she left her chambers this morning. Perhaps she's flying around the Labyrinth?" Jareth moved his hand to his hips and tapped his foot gently. "I hope she's not still having those headaches." "My liege, is the fair maiden unwell?" Jareth looked at the fox again. "Well, we had a argument, I assumed she was crying, and..." He places his hand back on his chin. "Hmm. Perhaps I should send an attendant for her. Make sure she's okay." Sir Didymus bowed lightly at Jareth. "I shall send word immediately, sire." Jareth nodded and shooed him away. "Yes, yes. Fine." As Sir Didymus left the room, Jareth looked out the window, placing his hand to his chin and lips. He transformed into his barn owl self and flew around the castle grounds.

Amara flew to the tree outside Toby's window, and perched herself on the branch. "_He's been there for hours. How many hours do humans waist their time on such boring knowledge?" _She ruffled her wings and watched the room, waiting for Toby to get back. "_I hope that spell didn't wear off. Papa's going to be steaming mad if he finds out. I'll be grounded for years." _She suddenly jerked her head up when she heard the doorknob rattle and Toby entered the room. He shut the door, placed his backpack down, and took the red book out. "Can't let Mom find this." Toby grabbed the box it was in before and placed the book inside, before placing it back in his closet. "Glad she's never here at night. I get all the free time to myself." Toby moved to a desk by his bed. "Also glad Sarah taught me to cook. Can't have pizza everyday." Toby rolled around his room in his chair moving from own place to another. Amara kept her beady eyes on him. "Toby, we're heading out." Toby answered with some paperwork in his mouth. "Okay, Mom. Love you." When he heard the front door close, and jumped from his chair. "Yes! Friday night, freedom!" Toby rushes out of the room and down to the living room. Amara perched herself onto his windowsill and punched the window open. Once she was inside, she transformed into her Fae self again, took a small whiff of the bedroom, and immediately covered her nose. "Ugh. It smells worse than the Bog of Eternal Stench." Amara always wondered what humans smelled like, let alone where they get their scents. Now she knows how the males smelled like. "Now, to find that book."

Toby was downstairs on the couch, watching a few movies. He already made himself dinner, and was halfway through a bowl of popcorn. He was watching a cheesy horror movie in the dark, the way most people would do. He paused the movie to get more popcorn. When he placed the bag in the microwave, he heard a thud from upstairs. He jumped at the noise, but brushed it off. "Probably just the wind." He heard the thud again. "O-or a cat..." Thinking quickly he grabbed a colander and placed it on his head, then grabbed one of his father's golf club from the garage and made his way back upstairs. He checked all the rooms until he stopped at his bedroom. He slowly turned the doorknob and burst through the door. "Hi-yah!" Nothing. Tony heard shuffling from the closet. "Probably a rat." He placed his hand on the doorknob, twist slowly and opened the closet, finding everything scattered and something moving in the corner. When the creature turned it's head, Toby stood there in silence. The figure broke the silence and spoke. "Hello." Toby dropped the golf club and prepared to scream, but swallowed it back and spoke back. "Who are you? How did you get in my house?" The figure stood up and held her hands behind her back. "I came in through the window." Toby picked up the golf club again and faced it towards the girl in front of him. "So, you're a stalker?" The girl tilted her head. "A what?" Toby reaches for his cell phone but kept his eyes on the girl. "I'm calling the cops of you don't tell me who you are!" The girl held up her hands, showing her left hand holding Toby's book. "Hey! That's my book! You're a stalker and a thief!" Toby prepares to grab his phone, but it moved away from him and dropped into the crack between his desk and the wall. "Oh, great! Give me that book!" He lunged towards her but she moved quickly before he could even touch her. "Wait, you wanted to know who I am. Right?" Toby nodded and stands in a lunging position. "Y-yeah. Who are you?" "I'm Amara. Daughter of the Goblin King, Jareth. Princess of the Goblin City." Toby blinked and looked at her disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Goblins don't exist." Amara looked at him and tugged gently on her ears. "Then how do you explain these?" Toby shook his head. "Simple. Latex ears. Lots of people use them in plays and movies." Amara snarled at him. "They're real. Just like Goblins, and the Labyrinth." Toby tried to grab his book back from her, but she kept it at a distance from him. "Give me back that book! My sister gave it to me!" Amara pushes him off of her. "I need it to find my mother." Toby looked at her in disbelief. "You're starting to sound more and more like a crazy person." Amara glares at the boy on the floor. "I'm not the one wearing a goofy hat on my head. How will you believe me?" Amara thinks for a moment and remember his wish. She was the only one who heard him. Using her free hand, she conjured up a crystal ball in her hand. Toby's eyes widened at the ball when he saw himself inside. "_...I wish the goblins come and would take me away..." _Amara smirks at him. "Such a pity no one else heard that but me. Shame. I think you would love the Labyrinth." Toby backed away to the door, until it closed behind him. "Wh-what do you want with me?" Amara holds the book up and shakes it lightly to him. "I think you know what I want." Toby shakes his head violently. "No. I can't. I-it's important to me." Amara stepped in front of him and squints her eyes slowly. "I won't take no for an answer." She conjured up another crystal and Toby started to shake. "Y-you have n-no..." Amara quickly covered his mouth with her gloved hand. She clicked her tongue in a 'tsking' manner. "Wrong answer. Try again." Toby nodded his head under her hand. "O-okay! Okay. You can have it. But I want it back when you're done." Amara grinned widely at him. "No promises." As she turned away, Toby squeaked and spoke again. "W-wait. Answer me something? Is the Goblin City really real? And the Goblin King?" Amara smirked softly at the boy in front of her. "Would you like to find out?" Toby's eyes widened as she held out her hand to him and grinned at his eager, yet curious and frightened face. Toby gently took her hand, and before he knew it, in a whirl of glitter mix with silver and gold, he was whisked away from his bedroom and they both appeared in a throne room. Toby looked around his surroundings and gasps lightly. "What is this place?" Amara threw her arms out wide in a flourish motion. "Welcome to the Goblin City." Toby look at her in shock. "I knew it. I'm on drugs." Amara walked around the room and laughed. "Nope. Pinch yourself." Toby raised his index finger and thumb to his arm and gave it a tight pinch. He winced at the pain and looked at Amara, who was sitting on the throne with her back against one arm of the chair and her legs on the other arm. "Told you so." Toby shook his head in confusion and immediately looked around. "Wait a minute. If this is the Goblin City, there where are the goblins? And the king?" Amara sat up in the chair. "That is a good question. Papa didn't even know I was gone. And since he doesn't know, he doesn't know you're here." Amara quickly covers her mouth and gasps. "I'm in trouble." Before Toby could interject, they both hear a voice coming from down the hall. Quickly, Amara places the book in Toby's hands and hid him behind the throne. "Don't move, don't speak, don't breathe." Amara quickly adjusts herself and dusted herself off as she saw the shadows of Sir Didymus and Hoggle. "Fear not, Sir Hoggle. I shall follow my scent to find the fair maiden." Hoggle rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Oh. That thing never worked since you left the Bog." Amara walked to the corner and pretended to be walking in the throne room from the other entrance, just as Hoggle and Sir Didymus entered. "Hoggle! Sir Didymus." Sir Didymus laughed out loud at Hoggle. "See? I have told thee I would find her." Hoggle only crossed his arms. "Well, fair maiden. I hope thou are feeling well. His majesty was worried you were under the weather." Amara raised her eyebrow at him. "Sick? Pfft. _No! _I was simply...practicing my magic. And reading." Hoggle aborted lightly. "Just like her mother." Sir Didymus nodded and looked back at Amara. "Yes. Now, his majesty requested your company for lunch." Amara nodded and looked back at the throne. "Sure. Tell him all be right down. I-I just need to freshen up a bit." Sir Didymus bowed at Amara. "Very well, my lady. I shall send your word to his majesty immediately." And with that Hoggle and Sir Didymus left the room, leaving Amara alone. Once she was alone, she quickly pulled Toby out from behind the throne and pulled him to her room, closing the door immediately behind her. "If my father finds out I brought you from the Aboveground, he'll ground me for years. Or worse." Toby raised an eyebrow at her. "What could worst than being grounded for years." "In the Underground, you don't want to know. So, for now, stay here keep quiet, and do not loose this book. Got it?" Tony nods quickly and Amara walked to the doorway. "And don't touch my stuff. Some of it will curse you." Amara walked out of the room, leaving Toby alone with the book. "How does she expect to find anybody with just a book? It's nothing but a fairytale." Toby looked at the book cover and rand his hand through it. "Is it?"


	4. Chapter 4: The Deal

Sarah was reading to a group of children, when an employee approached her. "Sarah, you have a phone call." She nodded, finished the book, and made her way to the office. "Hello?" "Sarah? Have you heard from Toby?" Sarah's eyes furrowed in confusion. "He hasn't called? I assumed he would be at home." Sarah grabbed her purse and hooked it over her shoulder. "I'll go check on him. Make sure he's okay." As soon as she hung up, Sarah made her way to her car and drove to the house.

Jareth was waiting at the table, drumming his fingers on the wood until he saw Amara walking in the room. "Ah, you made it. I was worried you were unwell." Amara sat down to his right and scoffed. "What, me? _No._ Just restless. And maybe practicing magic. Again." Jareth raised his eyebrow at her. "I see. I was hoping you weren't still thinking about our conversation last night. But I assumed you might've forgotten about that." Amara nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah. Completely forgotten." "Good. I hope that today, since I have nothing particularly planned, maybe you and I could spend the day together. Around the Labyrinth. How does that sound?" Amara's gaze went back and forth. "S-sure. I got nothing better do to anyway." _Might as well distract him so he doesn't find that boy in my room. _Amara thought to herself. "Excellent. Sir Didymus, clear my schedule for today. This day is only for me and Amara." The fox bowed at the Goblin King. "Of course, my liege." Jareth and Amara went down to the gardens and walked.

In another side of the Underground, lived a castle covered in moss and cobwebs. The Fairy Kingdom. It was rotting away and in ruins, yet somehow still standing in one piece. Inside the throne room, a tall fairy figure was sitting on the throne. Her hair was as black as night, with several streaks of green and blue as highlights. Her dress was like giant rose petals, wrapped around her body. And her skin was as pale as white snow. She looked down at her servant and moved her hand under her chin. "Queen Lena." Lena rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yes. What is it?" "We have words of the Goblin City." Lena groaners in annoyance. "This again. The stupid Goblin King with his dumb Labyrinth. Foolish of him to send a silly human girl to run it for a baby. So, what's say you? What news have you to bring from that foul city?" The fairy servant whispered into Lena's ear and Lena's eyes widened in surprise. She conjured up a crystal, shaped like a diamond, unlike Jareth's crystal balls. Lena looked into her crystal and saw a fourteen year old boy with the Goblin Princess. He was holding the book everyone was so familiar with. Lena grinned widely at the vision. "So, the other is here in the Underground? Well, this shall be rather interesting." Lena summoned two fairy servants. "Summon the Goblin King for me. I have something of his I want to return." Lena stood up and walked out of the throne room, leaving her two fairy servants to fly off to the Goblin City.

Jareth me Amara we're walking around the garden of the Goblin City, when they are approached by Sir Didymus. "My liege." Jareth rolled his eyes in annoyance and looked at the fox. "What is it?" Amara looked between him and Didymus. "I'm afraid you have been summoned, by..." He stopped when he saw Amara next to him. Jareth knelt down while Sir Didymus whispered the last part in his ear. "Queen Lena of the Fairy Kingdom." Jareth eyes widened and he looked at Amara standing with confusion in her eyes. "Er...sweetness, I'm really sorry, but I have to cut our day short." Amara places her hands on her hips and scolded at him. "You said you would cancel everything." "That was before this came up, and _this_ is important." Amara recalled that the boy was still in her room. "You know what? It's okay." Jareth looked at her with confusion. "It is?" Amara walked pass him and headed for the castle. "Sure. I had a few things I was going to do anyway. So, I'll see you for dinner." She walks back into the castle, leaving Jareth and Sir Didymus with confused looks on their faces. "Keep an eye on her." Jareth turned into his barn owl form and flew off.

Amara made her way back to her bedroom and closed the door behind her quietly. Toby looked up and heaved a deep sigh. "You were gone for hours." Amara went behind a screen. "Sorry. Papa wanted to spend the day with me, but duty calls I guess." Toby looked at her face and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" Amara used her magic to turn him around. "Hey, a little respect please? It's very rude to stare." Toby's face went red and he faced his back to her. "I never did get you name, by the way." Toby held onto the book and tried to distract himself. "T-Tobias Williams." Amara smiles as she took off her gloves. "Hmm." Toby heard the sound of boots thudding on the ground. "You can still talk to me. I'm not invisible." Toby cleared his throat and raked his hand through his hair, trying to think of a conversation starter. "So, Amara. Who actually gave you that name?"Amara raked her hands through her hair and use her magic to change it slightly. "Papa told me my mom named me. He said that she said the She always wanted a daughter name Amara. And then Papa said 'She has my eyes.'" Toby opened the book and read between their conversation. "But you have a funny name as well. Tobias. It's weird." Toby shield his eyes when he turned around. "If it makes you feel any better, you can just call me Toby." Amara nodded slightly. "Toby. That does sound better." Amara stepped out from the screen, wearing a strapless, dark, teal blue dress that reached just pass her knees. "Okay, you can look now." Toby uncovers his eyes and smiled. "Wow. You look great." Amara looked at his clothes and thinks. "I forgot that you were still wearing that. And I'm still trying to hide you from everybody." She turned him around and conjured up a small crystal. "Hold still." Amara tosses the crystal in the air and with a rippling effect, Toby clothes transformed into a white poet shirt with a dark brown coat, grey tights, and brown leather boots. He almost looked like a striking resemblance of Jareth. "I look ridiculous." Amara shrugged at him. "Ridiculous is kinda the thing in the Underground." Amara looked at the book in his hands and smiled. "So, tell me. What does the book holds inside?" Toby shrugs. "I must've read it so many times, I kinda lost track. It's mostly just a fairytale." Amara opened the book as he explained. "Basically about a goblin king falling in love with a young girl, and he kidnapped a baby that the girl was always looking after. And he also threatened to turned the baby into a goblin, unless the girl solved his Labyrinth." Amara looked between the book. "The Goblin King...fell in love with a young girl...?" Tony nodded slowly at her. "Yes. That's what I just said." "Papa...Papa fell in love with a young girl. But who was she?" Amara looked at Toby and the book and started to read.

Back in the Fairy Kingdom, Lena was pacing around in her throne room, until she smiled when she heard familiar footsteps enter. "I hope you have a good reason to summon me here, when I could be out spending the day with my dear daughter." Lena chuckles softly at the Goblin King and walked towards him. "It's been forever, Jareth, but..." she giggled lightly at him. "Surely not long at all." Jareth lowered his eyebrows in annoyance. "Oh, but where are my manners?" Two fairies come in carrying a teacup. "Tea? It's peach flavored." She said in a sing-song manner. Jareth took the teacup and sipped slowly at the hot beverage. "This better be important." Lena approaches him and smiled. "Let's walk, shall we?" She walked pass him, letting him follow closely behind. "You like games, Jareth?" Lena finally broke the silence between them. "It depends on what game I play. As I recall, the last time I agreed to play your games, you took everything from me." Lena chuckled lightly and looked back at him. "Not everything. You still have your kingdom. Your precious daughter. Isn't that enough?" Jareth balled his right hand into a fist, but tried his hardest not to cause a fight. He knew they were surrounded by fairy guards. "What are you getting at?" Lena grinned softly. "I thought I could strike up new game. One with a new player. We used to have such fun watching others fight to win. However, I want your daughter to play my game this time." Jareth crossed his eyebrows in anger. "I rather throw myself in the Bog of Eternal Stench than let my daughter have anything to do with you." Jareth suddenly found himself surrounded by fairies pointing spears at him. "I'd watch your tongue if I were you, Goblin King." Jareth sneered at her. "What do you want, Lena?" "You know exactly what I want, Jareth. You cannot deny it any longer." Jareth looked at the ground, not once placing his gaze at Lena. "You'd rather satisfy yourself by letting my only child play your games? You're mad if you think I will ever say yes." Jareth turn his back to her face and prepares to leave. "Then how about a little wager? Your little princess plays my game, and if she wins, I shall return what you desire the most." Jareth chuckled in mock at her. "What do you have to offer to me that you can possibly believe I would want more than anything in this world?" Lena smirked at the Goblin King and whispered in his ear. "Your precious thing. Your queen. Your wife." Jareth stood in silence as Lena moved away from his face. "So, do we have a deal?" Jareth finally looked at her. "What happens if you win?" Lena tapped her chin lightly. "How about...the Goblin City?" Jareth bit his lips lightly and paced to think. Finally, he looked back at the Fairy Queen and nodded. "All right. You've got yourself a deal." Jareth held out his hand for her to shake, but retracts it slightly. "But, I want you to make one more deal." Lena raised her eyebrow to him. "Go on." "Under no circumstances are allowed to harm a single hair on my daughter's head." Lena cooed at his tone. "Aww, Daddy Jareth is being a protective father. How cute." Jareth shoots a deathly glare at her and Lena takes his hand. "Very well. It's a deal."

Amara and Toby teleported into the library of the castle. Tony was sitting in one of the chairs, bigger than his body, while Amara was pulling out numerous amount of books. "This is a pretty big library." Toby tried to break the silence between them, but Amara continued pulling books. "Sure are a lot of books." He shuffled his feet lightly under the chair and saw Amara placing the books on the table in front of him. "What's all this?" Toby started picking up a few books from the pile. Some were fairytales, others were small dictionaries in a different language. "It could help us understand the book." Toby looked at her with his eyebrows raised in confusion. "I told you, it's just a fairytale." Amara took the book from his hand. "A fairytale that may be true. 'The King of the Goblins', my father. And 'the girl' could be my mother. The only question is, who is, or who was, the girl?" Amara opened the book and read through and thumbed the pages lightly, muttering some words from the pages. "...'Dwarf'...'Yeti'...'fox knight'..." Amara gasped and looked at Toby. "What?" Amara took a feathered quill from the desk and dipped it in some ink. Immediately she wrote down notes from the book. "I know who they are. The dwarf, the yeti, and the fox. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus." Toby nodded slowly at her. "Okay, I have no idea who that is. But continue." Amara looked at the book again. "This book has everybody in here. The only one we don't know is the girl and...the babe with the power." Amara tapped her lips gently and grabbed the dictionary. Toby grabbed one of the fairytales and after opening it, he looked at it in confusion. It was in another language. He placed the book down and picked up another and started reading. They stayed in the library for hours, Amara writing down a bunch of notes, and Toby occupying himself with the fairytales Amara had picked out. Even when they got hungry, Amara used her crystals to make some food appear on the table. Toby placed the fairytale on the table. He must've read through all of them. "We've been at this for hours." He looked at Amara still scribbling notes. "Well, you mostly. I've been with the other books." Amara looked at him lying sideways in the chair. "Did you find anything yet?" Amara shrugged slightly and placed the book in Toby's hand. "I'm not sure, but I think I might've found some clues. I just have to find..." She was interrupted when she heard a knock on the large wooden doors. "My lady. Are thou in there?" Amara shot up from her seat and immediately hid Toby behind a bookshelf. "Come in!" Sir Didymus entered the room with Ambrosius. "Oh, Sir Didymus." Amara grabbed her notes and immediately hid them in a crystal ball behind her back. "Don't mind the mess. I was just cleaning up." She dropped the crystal gently by her feet and kicked it towards Toby. "Fear not, my lady. I'm not one to judge for messes." Amara pet Ambrosius gently and looked at Toby from his hiding spot. Toby picked up the crystal and nodded gently. "Am I needed for something?" Sir Didymus shook his head. "Not necessarily. I was just informed to look out for you, fair maiden. His majesty has not returned yet, and it is my sacred duty to protect the royal family." Amara nodded lightly. "Oh. He's not back yet?" Amara shifted her gaze from Sir Didymus to Toby. "That's unfortunate." Sir Didymus sniffed the air lightly. "I say. There's something foul afoot. An intruder!" Amara jumped at his shout and immediately backed into the bookshelf. "An intruder? That's silly. It's just you and me in here." She use her magic to teleport Toby out of the library and into her bedroom. Sir Didymus smelled the air again and huffed lightly. "It seems I was mistaken. Well, no matter." Amara sighed in relief and was led out of the library with Sir Didymus. After Toby was back in Amara's room, he let out a small sigh of annoyance. "She can't keep hiding me forever. Somebody's bound to know who I am." He turned when he heard a crash from behind him. Toby saw a dwarf with white hair, and ragged clothes. "Oh, no. What did she get herself into?" The dwarf grumbled.

Sarah parked her car near the house went up to the door. "Toby?" Sarah knocked on the door waited for an answer. She then reached into her purse and pull out a key. She stepped inside the house and looked around. "Toby? Are you home?" The house was silence, nobody was in sight. Usually Toby would rush downstairs if he heard Sarah, unless he was asleep. Sarah went upstairs to his room, hoping to find him taking a nap, but instead his bed was empty, and unmade. She rushed back downstairs and looked through her purse for her cellphone. "Are you looking for someone?" Sarah jumped at the sound of a female voice. She was sitting on the couch, wearing a black blazer jacket with a matching pencil skirt, and black pumps. Her hair was in a neat bun and it shone from the light of the lamp. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" The woman stood up, almost a foot taller than Sarah. "I'm a friend of your family. Your 'extended' family, you could say. I had a spare key." Sarah placed everything back in her purse and raised an eyebrow at the woman. "You seem familiar, yet I'm sure we've never met. What's your name?" The woman gave her a toothy smile between her red lips. "Lena." She stood from her spot and shook Sarah's hand. "I believe you're looking for Toby?" Sarah furrowed her eyebrows at the stranger. "You know Toby? Do you know where he is?" Lena nodded lightly. "Oh, yes. I know exactly where he is." Lena crosses the room and looked around. "It's a lovely little place you have here. Very quiet. Not too shabby. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We were talking about Toby. He shouldn't be far." Sarah sighed in relief. "Good. But he should be home. I should go look for him." Lena raised her hand to her. "Oh, don't worry. I shall take you there myself." Sarah raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I-I don't understand..." Lena takes Sarah's hand gently, and with a whirl of glitter they stood in the throne room of the Fairy Kingdom. "What's going on?" Sarah looked around her and gasped. "This isn't...What is this place?" Sarah looked at Lena and saw her outfit has changed into a green, strapless ball gown, complimented with black gloves and a crown made of silver vines. "Welcome to the Underground, Sarah." Sarah felt a shiver down her spine. A fairy cane down to her shoulder and bit her. "Ow!" Lena approaches her calmly. "Don't be so frightened. They're only making sure you're not asleep." Sarah looked at the fairies around her. "T-this isn't a dream?" "Of course not. It's all very real." Sarah looked at her and saw a gentle smile across Lena's face. It almost looked comforting. "Well, where's Toby?" Lena shrugged slightly and sighed. "Unfortunately, I only had enough magic to teleport us to my kingdom. Your brother..." she pointed out the window to a kingdom far away. "...is there. In the castle beyond the Goblin City." Sarah gasped lightly at the castle. "The Goblin City?" Lena nodded. "Wh-What is he doing there?" Lena sighed softly. "I'm afraid I don't know. Children get wished away there everyday. Poor little souls. I dare not go there, for seeing a poor child's fate in that kingdom sickens me to my very core." Sarah looked at the Fairy Queen in fear. "Why? What happens to them?" Lena waved it off gently. "Oh, don't worry about that. You want to get your brother, right? I can't go over to the Goblin City, but I can offer you my guidance to get there. I only ask for one thing in return." Sarah nodded and looked on her eyes. "Of course. Anything. What do you need?" Lena let a grin spread across her face. "Tell me, what do you know about the Labyrinth?"


	5. Chapter 5: What to Say

Hoggle stood on the edge of Amara's bed. Standing in front of him was Toby, holding the Labyrinth book in his hand. "Oh, what did she get herself into? First, she asks about her mother, next thing ya know, she's bringing-..." Toby grabbed a spear from the end of the room and pointed it at Hoggle. "Stand back! I got a..spear!" Hoggle shook his head in annoyance. "I ain't gonna hurt you. Ya know what your problem is? Yer just like yer sister." Toby lowered the spear to his side. "My sister? You know Sarah?" Hoggle covered his mouth and shook his head. "I ain't saying anything. I've done enough trouble opening my mouth." Toby went up to the dwarf and knelt to his side. "Can you not tell anyone I'm here?" "Hmm. No doubt Amara sent you here. What, with her finding her mother and all." Toby looked at the book in his hand. "What do you know about her mother?" Hoggle looked away from him and huff. "You ain't getting nothing out of me." Toby leaned on the side of the bed and sighed softly. "I guess this is a thing we have to figure out ourselves." Looking back at Hoggle he raised another question. "How do you know Sarah?" Hoggle stiffens at the question and continue to ignore Toby, until he felt the head of the spear on his shoulder. He sighed deeply at Toby and finally faced him. "I ain't the only one to know her." Toby and Hoggle suddenly turned their attention to the door opening and saw Amara entering. "Hoggle!" Hoggle crossed his arms over his chest. "I...I was going to..." She sighed lightly and looked at the ground. "I have some explaining to do, don't I?"

"What fascinating trinkets," Lena was looking through Sarah's purse with her fairy servants, pulling out the random objects inside. "I've never seen such marvelous items." Sarah fidgets with her fingers as she sat next to Lena. "I'm not that comfortable with people going through my stuff." "Worry not, my dear. It'll all be returned to you." Lena pulled out Sarah's small makeup bag and looked at the variety of makeup inside. "What is this?" Sarah gathered all the make up Lena dropped in her laps. "I-it's lipstick. It gives your lips color." "Hmm. Seems like a waste of time for humans. We just use magic." Lena swiped her index finger across her lips, changing it from a blush pink color to crimson red. "So, tell me again. You said the Labyrinth to you is nothing but a book. A...play you read as a child?" Sarah nodded lightly at the fairy queen. "Pity. It's all quite real. Every word in that book, is a reality in this world." Sarah's eyes shot yo at her. "It is?" Lena chuckled lightly at the 27 year old's enthusiasm. "Oh, yes. The sad part is, the Labyrinth is next to impossible to defeat. To this day, there has only been one being to actually solve it, and refuse many temptations of that dreaded Goblin King." Sarah gasped lightly. "The Goblin King is real." Lena nodded gently. "Indeed. And since that day, he's made the Labyrinth more and more difficult. Many tried to solve it, and immediately failed in the end. Such a cruel thing to do to those poor mortals. And turning children into goblins for his own satisfaction." Lena reached softly. "Sickening." Sarah rubbed her arms gently and looked at the ground. "But, it isn't my place. I suppose you want to know what happened to your brother." Sarah looked up at the queen again. "Toby?" She has almost completely forgotten about him, being lost in thought after being teleported to the Fairy Queen's castle. "How can I get to Toby?" Lena grinned lightly at Sarah. "Well, I suppose if you're extremely determined, you could run the Labyrinth and get to the castle. Or...we could trap the King in his own game." Sarah raised her eyebrows. "How do we do that?" Lena raised her hand and produced a small crystal. "I have a plan." She transformed the crystal into a peach and tosses it to Sarah. "What is it?"

Jareth materialized in his bedchambers after flying back from the Fairy Kingdom. He collapsed on his pillows and let out a lingering sighs. "Do I really want to let my daughter go through with this? Run a challenge just to save what was lost to me so many years ago?" He placed his hands over his eyes and groaned. "Goblin King, what are you getting yourself into?" Jareth immediately sat up and snapped to his senses. "What am I doing? I'm the Goblin King! I shouldn't sound this pathetic." His shoulders slumped slightly. "Yet I am. I am a big coward." He threw a crystal in the air and caught a peach when it came back down. "Now, how do I explain this dilemma to Amara without making it seem like I'm putting her in danger?" Jareth bit down on the peach and began to think silently. Suddenly, he felt a shiver down his spine. "Something's wrong." Jareth conjured up a crystal in his free hand to see the Labyrinth. Once he finished his peached, he swiped his finger across the crystal ball and various images appeared in front of him. From the opening of the Labyrinth, to the fire swamp, to the gardens. Finally, the crystal ball was clouded. "What?" Jareth shook the crystal to clear the view, but nothing changed. "This is all Amara's doing. I don't know if I should be proud of her for using her magic to such an enormous level, or be angry at her she's blocking herself from me?" Jareth stood from the front of his bed and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. "Either way, I do have to have a conversation with her." Jareth walked out of his room and made his way past the throne room.

THE PAST

Jareth was in a forest with black trees, almost looking dead. Some branches had fallen off, some remain the same. Jareth was nearly 1,400 years old, appearing 14 in human years. He was holding his hands out in front of him, trying his hardest to conjure up a crystal. So far, all of them exploded in a puff a glitter. Just as Jareth was about to make a crystal appear, it popped in his hands like a bubble. "Damn. My magic is fine in all other areas _except_ this one. How hard can it be to make one bloody crystal?" He leaned against a tree and sighed deeply, sliding down the tree and sitting where he stood. Suddenly, his head shot up when he heard the sound of branches cracking. He grabbed a branch from his left and stood up, following the sound of the noise. "Who's there?" He spun around and heard a soft sound, like little bells. The sound grew closer until it was right behind him. Jareth immediately swung the branch at the sound, knocking over a creature almost the same height as him. Jareth gasped when he saw the creature hurt and rushed to help. She flinched at him, thinking that he would strike her again, but he held up his hands. "It's okay. I won't hurt you." Jareth got a closer look at her and saw that she had dark green and blue wings, but her left wing was bent. He offered his hand to her and she whimpered softly. "Let me help you." Shakily, the fairy took his hand and he placed his other hand on her back. She hissed at his touch, but immediately calmed down when she felt a tingling sensation in her wing. She looked at him when he removed his hands and smiled lightly at her. "There you go. All better. No harm done." The fairy flapped her wing gently and felt no pain anymore. "Who are you?" Jareth stood up and bowed at her. "I am called Jareth. I'm no one of special importance, so..." "But you just healed my wing! Y-you must be a prince, or something..." Jareth looked down. "Unfortunately, no. I'm just a regular fae." The fairy gasped lightly at him. "I've never seen a Fae before." "Well, I might be the only one. I don't know what happened to my mother and father, or any of my people." He cleared his throat and looked back at her. "But enough about me. Who exactly are you?" The fairy in front of him took the skirt of her dress and curtsies lightly. "I'm Lena, Queen of the Fairy Kingdom." Jareth looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you a little young to be a queen?" Lena huffed as she let go of her skirt. "I'm not that young. I'm 1,350 years old. What exactly are you doing out here?" Jareth looked away and back at his hands. "Practicing magic. I'm a little rusty at it." Lena places her hands on her hips. "But you healed my wing." Jareth looked over his shoulder at her. "Healing spells are easy. It's conjuring crystals that I can't do. The one spell I've seen many creatures do in this world." Lena walked up to stand in front of him. "Conjuring crystals? That's easy." Jareth three back his head and laughed. "Easy for you, maybe." Lena held her hand out and formed a prism crystal in her palm. Jareth's eyes widened at the crystal. "See? Every time I try it, they always burst in glitter." Lena giggled at the fae. "That would explain why you're so sparkly. You're not concentrating on the right aspect." She took Jareth's hands and placed them together, causing a shade of red to spread around the fae's cheeks. "Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Focus on the shape." Jareth closed his eyes and concentrated his magic to his hands. He felt a tingling sensation in his palms. When he opened his eyes, a crystal sphere appeared in his hands. He laughed softly and looked at the Fairy Queen. "I did it!" Lena looked at the crystal and rubbed her chin. "Well, it's different from mine, but it is your creation." Jareth shook her hand gently. "Thank you! I've always wanted to do this. I've never realized it was this easy." Lena blushed softly while he shook her hand. Jareth saw her blush and let go of her hand, blushing softly. Lena took a strand of her hair and twirled it with her fingers. "Do you have a place to go?" Jareth shook his head lightly at her. "No, I'm afraid not." Lena took his hands and led him to a small kingdom. "Come with me. I know an abandoned kingdom not to far from here."

THE PRESENT

Jareth made his way to Amara's bedroom. Before he could knock on the door, he heard the sound of two male voices. He recognized one of them as Hogwash, but the second made him extremely curious. He pressed his ear to the door to listen in on the conversation.

"And Papa doesn't even know. And I don't intend to tell him. N-not yet." Amara said. Jareth's eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. "Well, ya gots to tell him soon. Ya can't keep blocking him out with yer magic." _I knew it!_ Jareth mouth to himself. _I'm so proud of her for improving on her magic, but I'm going to ground her for this. _He put his ear to the door again and heard the second male voice. "How long do you expect to keep this secret?" "Hopefully, until I can find my mom." Jareth's eyes widened and he put his hand to his mouth to gasps silently. He took a few steps back and stood in shock. Just when he was about to tell her about an opportunity to get his wife back, Amara was talking about bringing her back herself. "But she can't." Jareth muttered to himself quietly. "I can't. And yet..." Jareth faced the door again and raised his hand. "There's someone else in there." He knocked on the door, causing a scrambling noise to come from inside. "Quick! Hide!" Jareth heard Amara say behind the close door. Amara opened the door and smiled nervously at her father. "Papa! You're back." Jareth folded his arms over his chest. "Is there someone else in here with you?" The color in Amara's face drained and she looked at Jareth with a nervous grin. "N-no..." Jareth stepped into her room, finding it suspiciously empty. He looked at her wardrobe and narrowed his eyes. "Then I suppose I won't find anything if I open your wardrobe?" Amara places her hands behind her back. "Nope." Jareth pointed at her in warning. "Don't you dare try to use magic behind your back. I know what you're up to." He opened the wardrobe door and found not only Hoggle, but... "Toby?" Jareth stood in silence as he looked between him and Amara. Toby furrowed his eyebrows and looked at him with confusion. "Do...do I know you?" Jareth looked away and bit his lips. "No. You wouldn't. You were only a babe." There was something in his voice that sounded familiar to Toby, but he couldn't make it out. "How did you get here?" Jareth looked at Amara and lowered his eyebrows in annoyance. Amara only chuckled nervously. "You're just begging for trouble, aren't you?" Amara held her hands up and chuckled nervously. "I-I can't explain..." Jareth tugged on Amara's and Hoggle's ear and yanked them to his side. He turned to Toby briefly. "Wait here." In a swirl of glitter, Jareth has teleported the three of them to the throne room. "I have half a mind to punish both of you right now." He turned to face Amara. "What in all of the Underground is he doing here? If I thought for one second you would kidnap him, or any human from the Aboveground, without my consent, I should be forced to send you to the oubliette. And no amount of magic would get you out." Jareth then turned to Hoggle. "And you." Hoggle raised his hand to his head. "Don't go blamin' me. She's the one who wants to bring back..." Jareth pointed at him with a deathly glare. "If you finish that sentence, so help me, I will Bog you myself. We had a deal." Jareth looked back at Amara with his arms folded across his chest. "How could you be so irresponsible?" Amara bit her lips gently. "While on this subject matter, you do know that you left a boy in my bedroom? Unattended?" Jareth was about to raise his voice, but was completely caught off guard by her remark. "We're not done yet." Jareth teleported back into Amara's room and teleported back with Toby, now in the throne room. "Now, explain. Why is he here?" Toby looked at Jareth, awkwardly. "Well, she did try to steal this from me." He held up the red book in his hand and Jareth immediately snatched it. He gasped at the sight of the title. 'The Labyrinth.' "You should not have this." Toby tried to grab it back, but Jareth kept it away from him. "Give it. What is it with this strange obsession with this book? My sister gave it to me!" Jareth's eyes widened at Toby in shock. "She...gave this to you...? Willingly?" Toby nodded at him. "I don't get why you guys are so obsessed with it. Why not just find another copy?" Jareth looked down at the book in his hands. "There is no other copy. This is the only one." Toby's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "In...in the world?" Jareth gave the book back to Toby. "In the entire Aboveground." Jareth turned his attention back to Amara. "What do you need it for anyway?" Amara places her hands behind her back. "I only want to find...find Mom." Jareth pinches the bridge of his nose. "Oh...You'll be running yourself to exhaustion if you use that. You could read and reread it for hours and it won't give you any answers." Amara sighed deeply. "Then how am I going to find my mother?" Jareth stood in silence for a long moment before finally facing his daughter again. "There may be...one way."

Sarah stood at the entrance of the Labyrinth. Inside, she would find Toby and once she does, she would be sent home immediately. She just had to watch out for the Goblin King. Lena has told Sarah she would be a guide to her so she could solve the Labyrinth and get back home. "The Labyrinth. Shouldn't be too hard." Sarah looked down at her feet and began taking a few steps. "Well, come on feet."


	6. Chapter 6: The Encounter

THE PAST

Jareth and Lena entered an enormous, empty castle. There were no servants, no royal family, nobody for miles. There were spider webs on the wall, most of them being there for years, and some stones were chipped and cracked. "I didn't know this place would be so creepy." Lena shook in her step and Jareth continued to look around the decor. "I like it. It is a roof over my head. And you said it was completely abandoned?" He turned his head to Lena, who was swatting away a few spiders in her hair. "Save for the spiders. Nobody lived here for centuries." A few small stones fell from the wall behind them. Lena looked at Jareth in concern. "Of course, if you don't like it, you could always stay with me and the fairies." Jareth gave her a small shrug. "I'm sure with a few small spells around here, I'll make this castle as good as new. I'm sure you could help me." Lena's cheeks turned pink. "Y-you want me to help you?" Jareth gave her a light smile. "Sure. You taught me a few spells. Maybe you could teach me more." She turned scarlet. "You want me to teach you magic?" Jareth nodded at her, and Lena felt like she was going to faint. "Sure!" She squeaked. "Ahem...I mean, of course." She used her magic to make a broom appear in her hand. "Well, this castle isn't going to clean itself." She tossed another broom to Jareth, causing a light chuckle to escape his lips. "As you wish, your majesty."

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THE PRESENT

Jareth was slumped in his throne while Amara was pacing in the throne room. "So, let me get this straight. A Fairy Queen, whom I know nothing about, wants to challenge me to play a certain game, and if I win, it'll bring my mother back?" Jareth rubbed his temples. "I almost don't want to go through with this, but if she is true to her word..." Hoggle stood in front of him. "Now, hold on. Are ya really going to risk her life to safe...you-know-Who?" Jareth glared at the dwarf. "And who says you have a say in the matter?" Hoggle grumbled softly at him. Toby looked at Jareth and shrugged. "Well, that settles it. I guess you don't need my book after all. So, I guess you could just send me back to...Um...Up there?" Jareth held up his finger and thought for a moment. "Wait! Maybe there is a good use for that." He waved his hand and the book appeared his hands. "Seriously?" Jareth flipped through the book and thumbed each word carefully. "That's it!" Amara looked at her father in confusion. "What?" Jareth places the book in Amara's hands. "Use the book as a guide." "What? "She's trying to copy me. Run a labyrinth, get thirteen hours to complete it, 'You have no power over me,' and everything is done for. Maybe we can play her game after all. And you can win." Amara, Toby, and Hoggle stood in silence at the Goblin King. "Well, he's finally lost it." Jareth groaned in annoyance. "Amara, if you want your mother back, play the game, use the book, and you can get your mother back." Amara looked between the book and her father. "Do you really think this'll work? Because if it doesn't..." Jareth took Amara's hands in his. "It will work. I'm certain of it." Amara said nothing and nodded softly at him. "Okay. I'll do it." Jareth looked at Toby. "Well, if I go with her, I get my book back in the end." Jareth nodded and gives her a crystal. "In case you need my help." Amara took the crystal and gave Jareth a light peck on his cheek before rushing out of the castle with Toby. Hoggle stood at Jareth's side and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're really going through with this? And here I though she was crazy, but now..." "You're going too." Hoggle looked at Jareth in disbelief. "Me?" "Did you honestly think I was going to send her off without someone to look after her? To make absolute certain she comes back alive and unharmed?" Hoggle grumbled and headed for the door. "And Hoggle, bring Sir Didymus and the yeti with you. I want her to have all the help she can get." Jareth tossed a crystal to Hoggle and it landed in his hand. "Do not disappoint me."

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Amara and Toby stood at the entrance of the castle, holding the crystal Jareth gave them. "So, how does this work? Do we just walk there or..." Toby asked Amara. "I don't know. I've never even heard of the Fairy Queen, so I doubt she'll be like my father." Amara looked into crystal ball and squinted her eyes. "But maybe this'll work." She cleared her throat and raised the crystal in the air. "I wish that the fairies would come and take me away right now." She closed her eyes, expecting something to happen. Toby looked around in confusion. "Nothing's happening." Amara sighed softly and placed the crystal in her pocket. "Then I guess we're walking." Toby grabbed her wrist. "Wait, can't you teleport?" She shrugged lightly at him. "I guess, but I'll only get us to the entrance." She threw her own crystal in the air, and with a shower of glitter, they were suddenly at the entrance of the Labyrinth. "Well, now then." Amara started, "Where to go to find the Fairy Kingdom?" As soon as she asked her question, Amara and Toby were whisked away by magic, appearing from the entrance of the Labyrinth to another entrance to another kingdom. Toby looked all around them. "What the hell happened?" Amara shook her head. "I don't know. Where are we?" Suddenly, a figure appeared in a swirl of glitter. "Well, well. This must be Princess Amara. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, your majesty." The Fairy Queen bowed lightly at Amara. "Are you the...?" "'Fairy Queen Lena?' Of course. Sorry to whisked you away from the castle, but I couldn't have you tired before you start your challenge." She turned her head to Toby and grinned mischievously. "And you bought Tobias too. How exciting." Toby looked at Amara in confusion. "You know me?" Lena chuckled lightly. "Of course. Everybody knows you down in the Underground. You're kind of a...celebrity, I should say. But I'm getting ahead of myself." Lena turned her attention back on Amara. "You're here to play my game. And what's a game without a little rules? So, rule number one; No magic." Amara felt a tingling sensation in her hands. "I can't have you cheating your way through. Which means that this," She held up the crystal ball from Amara's pocket, "will have to go bye-bye. Rule number two; You'll be given 36 hours to complete the game. I'm sure you know the prize you'll receive when you win." Amara took a step forward. "But what if I lose?" Lena grinned lightly at her. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens." She waved her hands in front of the door, and the swiftly opened. "Best of luck to you." Lena disappeared in a wave of glitter, leaving Amara and Toby alone at the entrance. Amara took a deep breath and stepped forward into the maze. "36 hours. No turning back."

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THE PAST

Jareth has been in his new castle for 3 months now. He used his magic combined with Lena's to transformed the place to his own will. And speaking of his magic, he was now a professional, now that Lena was teaching him. "Jareth?" Jareth turned his head to see Lena entering his throne room. She looked around in awe and gasped at the scenery. "Wow." Jareth chuckled lightly at the Fairy Queen and approached her. "Took me a couple hours to finish. Do you like it?" Lena looked at his genuine smile and her cheeks flushed gently. "It's beautiful. Your magic must be developing." Jareth rolled a crystal ball around his arm and to his hand. "I guess so." He started juggling the ball around in both of his hands and Lena giggled at him. "I've developed a new trick. Watch." Jareth held the crystal in his palm and focused. When Lena looked closely, she saw an image inside of two people dancing. She gasped lightly at the image. "Do you want it?" Jareth offered her the crystal and she stared softly at him. "I can't take it." "Why not? You have taught me how to do this. So, why not return the favor?" He placed the crystal in her hands gently and wrapped both of her hands around it. "It shall show you your dreams." Lena held the crystal close to her heart. "Thank you, Jareth..." She stood on her toes to place a peck on his cheek, leaving Jareth speechless. After Lena walked out of the room, Jareth pressed his fingers on his kissed cheek and smiled softly.

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Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were walking outside the Labyrinth. They were all told to follow Amara to make sure she was safe, but they did not expect walking all the way to the Fairy Kingdom. Why couldn't Jareth just teleport them there? Why did Amara get there first, but not them? "Can't believe we got roped into this." Hoggle grumbled. Sir Didymus passed him while on Ambrosius. "Fear not, brave Sir. If I know thy king, this shall only take a mere day. Now then, which way was it?" The trio looked around and started trailing left towards the kingdom. They stopped when they heard a few tree branches snap behind them. "Wait," Hoggle stopped and turned his head this way and that. "Did ya hear that?" They looked around and found nothing but the wall and eye lichen. Sir Didymus looked at the dwarf. "Perhaps it was the wind?" They turned back around and resumed on their trail, not noticing the 27 year old woman hiding behind a wall and breathing a sigh of relief. She looked at the castle in the distance and ran in the other direction of the group. "I'm coming, Toby."

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Jareth watched Amara's journey in a crystal ball. "No magic rule," he growled. "She shouldn't get far without magic." He slumped back in his throne and sighed deeply. "I hope she won't give up." He tapped his riding crop on his boot. Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation in his spine. "That can't be right." Jareth conjured up a crystal ball to see the problem was, but all he saw in each image were clouded smoke. "Someone is trying to sneak in the castle." He jumped from his spot and called out for the guards. "Find the intruder! Bring them to me!" Jareth went in the direction of the Escher room and looked around. Nothing was amiss here. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Someone's here." He heard the distance sound of footsteps, not belonging to a goblin, and conjured up a crystal in his hands. "Show yourself, and no harm shall come to you." Jareth heard the footsteps grew louder until they were behind him. When he turned his head to face the intruder, he gasped and dropped the crystal in shocked. The sight made him speechless and he gazed at the woman who stood five feet in front of him. "Sarah...?"


End file.
